saboteur

noun

sab·​o·​teur ˌsa-bə-ˈtər How to pronounce saboteur (audio)
-ˈtu̇r, 
-ˈtyu̇r
Synonyms of saboteurnext
: one that practices sabotage

Examples of saboteur in a Sentence

The car's tires were slashed by saboteurs.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That war ended in a humiliating defeat by an enemy regarded as much weaker, and many tsarist officials blamed the outcome on Japanese spies and saboteurs. — Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026 Private corporations have long worked with the federal government to help disrupt cybercriminals, but largely as contractors fulfilling a support role, not digital saboteurs handed a target. — Henry Larson, NPR, 15 Aug. 2026 But no regime, no spies, no saboteurs have yet matched the damage that America’s own president did tonight. — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026 In 1916, German saboteurs blew up a munitions plant on Black Tom, an island near Jersey City, New Jersey, killing about a dozen people. — ABC News, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for saboteur

Word History

Etymology

French, from saboter

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of saboteur was in 1921

Rhymes for saboteur

See All Rhymes for saboteur

Browse Nearby Words

sabotage
saboteur
sabotier
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Saboteur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saboteur. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

saboteur

noun
sab·​o·​teur ˌsab-ə-ˈtər How to pronounce saboteur (audio)
-ˈt(y)u̇(ə)r
: a person who performs sabotage

More from Merriam-Webster on saboteur

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for saboteur

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